


Red & Blue (part 2)

by Softchelles



Series: Red & Blue [2]
Category: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Angst, Character Death, F/M, Sad times, THEN READ IT AGAIN, did you read it, just in case you didn't catch that the first time, just making sure you read it, read that warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-02
Updated: 2019-02-02
Packaged: 2019-10-20 21:02:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17629625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Softchelles/pseuds/Softchelles
Summary: Red and blue were two of the best colorsUntil suddenly they weren't.orA continued look at Peter & Michelle over the years





	Red & Blue (part 2)

**Author's Note:**

> Make sure you read those tags because honey-- you've got a big storm coming!  
> Dedicated to the lovely @parkerbjones xoxoxoxo

He’s been twenty-one for a while, but her twenty-first birthday is a lot different than his. It’s not like they’ve never had alcohol before. House parties at Flash Thompson’s place back in high school are how they figured out that his alcohol tolerance is a lot higher than most, thanks to whatever that genetically engineered radioactive spider did to him. And he’d never taken Michelle for a lightweight.

So whatever her friends gave her must have _really_ done some damage. Because for Michelle to call him at two in the morning, _giggling,_ something had to be up.

“MJ--” he answers on the first ring. It’s late, but she’s busy and out with friends, and she shouldn’t be calling unless it’s an emergency. Key word being shouldn’t.

“Oh my god, Michelle! He’s probably asleep! Hang up!” a girl in the background squeals. There’s some shuffling and the sound of Michelle laughing before he hears his girlfriend speak. “It’s fineeeeeeeee. He’s probably still awake. He’s a super--guy…… he’s _such_ a super guy.”

She’s right that he’s not awake. It’s been a pretty quiet night. He’s finished up his rounds and he’s on his way back to his place. But this unexpected call has put a halt in his plans as he swings up to a random rooftop while Michelle rambles on. “He’s such a super good guy, like... did you know that? Peter? That you’re a good guy? I mean, you’re a good guy, but you’re like a _good_ guy.”

“Oh my god,” he gasps, shifting the phone from one ear to the next. “How drunk _are_ you?”

“I’m not even-- I had a feeew, but like-- itss not even that big of a deal, y’know?” she giggles, and he laughs along with her.

“But you’re good?” he asks, because yeah this is super hilarious and kind of adorable, but he just wants to check. “You’re safe?”

“Oh yeahh. I’m good,” she answers. We’re just going-- go back to the… where are we going? Oh yeah. To Liz’s place. We’re waiting for the uber.”

“Well. I’m glad you’re having fun.”

He should have celebrated with her today. But sometimes having a ‘Stark internship’ means having to actually partake in the ‘internship’ part. He hadn’t finished in time to see her before her plans with her friends. The breakfast in the morning was supposed to make up for it. But given her current state, he’s not so sure that’s going to happen.

\--

It doesn’t.

Instead he sneaks down her fire-escape with a bag full of supplies: crackers from the convenience store down the corner along with a gatorade-- **red** \-- her _favorite._ He holds her hair while she pukes. He rubs small circles on her back as she regrets all of her life choices and vows to never get that drunk ever again. 

He still gets her breakfast. It’s not from the fancy place they had reservations for, with the view that overlooks the entire city. It’s eggs and toast and he nearly burns it, but Michelle still thanks him. They eat off the **blue** striped plates May bought for her, because Mr. and Mrs. Jones were too busy to help Michelle settle in when they made the transition to adulthood. They’re the same plates she bought for Peter. 

**\--**

He finishes school before she does, because there was no way Mr. Stark and May Parker were about to let Peter Parker _not_ go to school, so he goes. He gets a degree and he continues his work at Stark industries while continuing his part time gig of a masked superhero. But Michelle’s got big plans, so she’s going to be in school for a little while longer. 

They find a place not too far from her campus and move in together. They already had the matching plates. Might as well complete the set. 

It honestly just makes sense.  
So they’ve been living together for a while now and it’s one of the best things that’s ever happened to him. 

There aren’t enough words in the English language to describe the feeling in his chest when he wakes up to Michelle Jones in his arms. The sunlight from their window peeks through the blinds. It hits her skin just right-- she looks like she’s _glowing._

“You’re staring,” she mumbles. He hadn’t noticed she was awake. Her eyes are still closed and she nuzzles her nose into his shoulder. He leans so that he can press a kiss to the side of her head. “You’re beautiful.” 

“God,” she groans, laughing softly. “You’re still so _lame_.” 

“Yeah.” He won’t try and argue. She’s right. But she must be okay with it. They’re going on four years together, and deep within his chest he just knows-- this can only be the beginning. 

It takes them a while to get out of bed. She’s half dressed when his phone buzzes. _Duty calls._

“Em,” he calls to her from the bedroom, sliding into his suit. 

“What?” she calls back from the bathroom. 

“I’ve gotta go.” 

She looks back at him, a small smile on her lips. The kind of smile that tells him she knows. She understands. She’s never held this Spider-man thing against him, not once. Because Michelle knows it’s what he’s born to do. This is Peter Parker, take it or leave it, and somehow, despite it all, she chooses to take it. He will never understand how he lucked out to end up with someone as incredible as she is. Peter Parker hit the jackpot. 

Michelle stops what she’s doing to walk back to him. Her arms wrap around him, engulfing him in a hug. He can feel her fingers tracing the suit’s **red** and **blue** outlines on his back. “Go get ‘em. Tiger. Be safe.” 

He smiles back. “Always.” 

**\--**

_Always,_ as it turns out, isn’t _always_ the case. 

One night he comes home from a particularly tough day. She’s on their bed amidst an organized mess of papers and files as she prepares for a mock trial, and he tries really hard not to mess them up as he falls through the window. 

“Oh my god-- Peter!” 

Michelle’s already on her feet as he pushes himself onto his arms. “What happened?!” 

Peter offers a weak attempted smile in response. It falls short. There’s too much blood, **red** and falling from his lips, to deliver his intended message. He’s okay. 

“You should see the other guy,” Peter chuckles, wincing at a pain somewhere beneath his rib. 

She stops digging in their closet for the first aid kit, pausing and narrowing her eyes in his direction. Clearly she doesn’t find his line amusing. He would shrug it off, but Peter’s not sure that’s physically possible right now. 

She has to help him take his suit off, peeling the material until it pools beneath his waist so that she can get to the damaged skin. There’s already bruises forming, **blue** marks that will fade to yellow by the morning. They’ll be completely gone by dinner. They're supposed to be having pizza. 

“Thank you-- ahH! Shit!” he hisses when she cleans a particularly nasty cut. “Thank you for making sure I don’t bleed to death.” 

“We couldn’t have that,” she tuts, continuing to wipe at the scrapes across his torso. “I like this carpet too much.” 

It is a nice carpet.  
It is a nice place.  
It’s their place. 

**\--**

It’s _their_ life.  
And Peter Parker knows they’re going to spend the rest of it together.  
May must pick up on it too, because they’re at lunch one afternoon when she slides him a **red** velvet box. He flips it open and his eyes widen. 

“Your uncle gave that to me,” May explains as he pulls the ring from its packaging. “It’s not worth much. But I want you to have it. For MJ.” 

“May, I--” Peter stammers, because he’s been entertaining the idea of proposing in his mind for a while now, but never in a million years would expect May to donate her ring to the cause. “I can’t-- we-- no. No.”  
“Shhhh.” His aunt reaches out. “It’s okay, Peter. It’s _okay.”_ Her hands rub gently at his, giving a slight squeeze while she speaks. “He would want you to have it. What Ben and I had-- we have. It’s beautiful. It doesn’t change just because he’s gone. It doesn’t change just because I clear out some old jewelry.” She lets out a light laugh, but he can sense the severity in her words. He’s too busy keeping his eyes on the ring to check, but he’s pretty sure her eyes are starting to water like his. “That love is forever. No matter what. And now you and Michelle have that. So just shut up and _take the damn ring.”_

And when Peter asks Michelle, he doesn’t actually get to ask.  
He always _was_ the worst at keeping secrets. And honestly, he should have picked a better hiding spot. 

He hadn’t even realized she was digging through his sock drawer until it was too late. 

“What is this?” 

The blood in Peter’s veins freezes. Michelle holds the box in her hands, brows raised and waiting for an explanation. 

“That’s nothing! It’s nothing! Give me that!” 

She doesn’t listen, because _of course_ she doesn’t. Instead she grins and answers, “No.” 

She runs out of the room and he yells as he chases after her, “Michelle! That doesn’t belong to you.” 

But when he finds her in the next room, she’s frozen, holding the opened box in her hands. The gleeful, taunting smile she’d worn just seconds before is gone. Her jaw hangs open and she blinks back at him. “Did… did you-- _want_ it to?” 

He nods, breathless, and even though Peter had been the one planning to ‘pop the question’, he’s the one that gets to say, “Yes.” 

It’s not at all how he imagined it. They’re in the living room. He’s in sweatpants. She’s in one of his old hoodies-- the **blue** one, with the Midtown logo across the front. And yet, it’s perfect. 

Everything is perfect. 

****\--** **

Until it’s not. 

****\--** **

Until he’s holding her still form in his arms, rocking back and forth and begging the universe to undo what’s done. Maybe love does transcend, never dying even after we do. But Peter Parker never thought he would have to test that theory. He never thought he'd be listening for a heart that used to beat in sync with his only to find it's stopped. 

****

****

He always thought red and blue were two of the best colors, until her **blue** dress was covered in **red** and there was nothing he could do about it. 

**Author's Note:**

> This was just a game of 'how angsty can we get just to piss off the people that keep sending you hate because you post too much angst'
> 
> Thanks for playing along, tho. <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3


End file.
